


Three Impossible Things

by cafflow



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Canon Universe, Fluff, M/M, Pranks and Practical Jokes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:34:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23153332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cafflow/pseuds/cafflow
Summary: It would be so much easier to prank Jeonghan if Mingyu didn’t have such pitifully low resistance to everything about him.
Relationships: Kim Mingyu/Yoon Jeonghan
Comments: 13
Kudos: 99





	Three Impossible Things

**Author's Note:**

> Set during filming for Going Seventeen 2020, Episodes 5-7.

Trouble came ten minutes into the filming break.

Mingyu was sitting quietly with his lunch, listening to Soonyoung cackling across the room about Seokmin’s failed solo attempts at limbo, when Joshua sidled up to him and smiled. It was, Mingyu thought, probably meant to be a benign, unassuming sort of smile, the kind Joshua had perfected as part of his image to charm entire audiences all at once.

It did not have that effect on Mingyu.

‘What’s going on?’ he asked suspiciously. He didn’t even bother trying to be discreet about tugging his food closer, shielding it from tampering or theft.

‘There’s no need to be worried,’ Joshua said, as if he didn’t know everyone in the group was in a permanent state of high alert for those words coupled with that smile, especially if it came with a Jeonghan on the side. ‘I’m just wondering if you want to help me prank someone.’

‘Who? Why? What?’

Joshua slid into the chair across from Mingyu and folded his arms neatly on the table. ‘Jeonghan, because I need to get him back for a joke he played on _me_.’

‘What did he do?’

‘He was Jeonghan,’ Joshua said, and even though he evidently meant to be cryptic, Mingyu found it was an oddly satisfying answer. When it came to Jeonghan, sometimes there was really no need to say anything else.

‘I’m not very good at playing jokes on people,’ Mingyu admitted, ‘but I’m even worse when it’s on Jeonghan-hyung.’

‘Well, none of us are much good against him, but I have an idea that might work.’ Joshua smiled again, this time revealing more of the mischief he tended to hide in public. ‘You know how Jeonghan was going to offer himself as your partner during the matchmaking corner? We convinced him not to because we thought it’d be funny if one of the members didn’t have anyone go up. I think you can make him feel guilty about doing that.’

‘He should, and so should you, hyung.’ Mingyu dropped his gaze to stare forlornly at his container of rice. ‘It wasn’t a nice feeling, you know. I felt humiliated when no one came for me.’

There was silence. Mingyu waited until he sensed Joshua leaning over the table, then looked up to meet Joshua’s concerned eyes with a triumphant grin. He was delighted to see Joshua sigh as realisation set in, a hand resting on his chest in relief.

‘That was good, wasn’t it?’ Mingyu asked happily.

‘Hey, I was genuinely worried you were taking the show too seriously, Mingyu!’

‘Okay, so maybe there’s a chance I’ll be able to trick Jeonghan-hyung as well. But why should I? You’re the one who wants revenge against him.’

Joshua seemed to consider that. ‘How about for the satisfaction of successfully fooling Jeonghan after all the pranks he’s pulled on you?’

‘No, thank you,’ Mingyu said. He spooned up some of his galbitang, which was growing as cold as any hope he had for a peaceful lunch. ‘Too much effort. I’d rather spend my break eating and relaxing.’

‘I’ll buy you coffee tomorrow,’ Joshua offered.

Mingyu looked at him, unimpressed. ‘I’m not that cheap, hyung.’

‘Coffee for a week. I’ll go and get it for you myself, too.’

‘Better, but still not worth the stress of having to check behind every door for Jeonghan-hyung for the next month.’

Joshua grinned. ‘Poor Seokmin; Jeonghan really committed to that one. Alright, you want danger pay. That’s fair. My final offer is coffee for a week _and_ I’ll treat you to two dinners of your choosing.’

That was more tempting. He _was_ curious to see how Jeonghan would react if he thought he’d really upset Mingyu, and surely if Jeonghan decided he wanted revenge for the prank, he’d go after the mastermind, not the pawn. Mingyu planned to make it very clear who was in which role.

‘Deal,’ he said with only the slightest hesitation, just in time for Jihoon to overhear as he arrived with his own lunch.

‘What are you two up to?’ he asked, cracking open a can of Coke and setting it carefully next to his meal containers.

‘Something fun,’ Mingyu said. He smiled reassuringly at Jihoon, and was met with the same dubious expression he imagined he must have given Joshua earlier.

‘Jeonghan’s coming,’ Joshua whispered suddenly, immediately rising from his seat but still doing a remarkable job of conveying nonchalance. ‘I’m going to get some food. Make sure to keep it together until I’m back, Mingyu.’

He made a face at the warning, but Mingyu had to admit it wasn’t entirely unfair. Despite years of living and working together, he still had next to zero resistance to Jeonghan, who could disarm him embarrassingly quickly with little more than a smile. Mingyu was self-aware enough to accept that developing any kind of immunity to Yoon Jeonghan was nothing short of impossible for him.

‘I don’t know why I feel so tired when all we’ve been doing is sitting and standing around,’ Jeonghan complained as he slumped down next to Mingyu. ‘It’s seriously annoying! I wonder if my break did more harm than good; I seem to have even less stamina than before.’

It took everything Mingyu had to continue eating, instead of giving into his first instinct to check on Jeonghan. As it was, he couldn’t help murmuring, ‘Don’t say that, hyung. You needed that rest. Just give your body time to readjust to our schedules again.’

‘Filming’s always tiring,’ Jihoon added in agreement. ‘If anything, it’s the sitting and waiting that makes it so bad.’

‘Ah, that’s true. I suppose I shouldn’t be so impatient.’ Jeonghan broke apart a pair of wooden chopsticks and started on the serving of kimchi and pork belly rice he’d brought with him. ‘I’m glad to be back, though. I think we’ll get some fun Going episodes out of today.’

Like he’d been there all along, Joshua reappeared and slid smoothly into the conversation. ‘I can’t wait to watch the matchmaking corner. No one’s going to guess who Wonwoo ends up with after all the rejections.’

Jeonghan and Jihoon had to stop eating to laugh, and Joshua took the opportunity to direct a pointed look at Mingyu. Not knowing Joshua’s plan— if he even had one— Mingyu panicked for a moment, then settled for hunching his shoulders and doing his best to seem utterly deflated.

‘Oh... I’m sorry, Mingyu.’ Joshua’s words took on a sympathetic, terrifyingly sincere tone. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you.’

‘Why? What’s wrong?’ Jeonghan asked. He narrowly avoided overturning his rice as he practically curved himself into a right angle to peer at Mingyu’s face, his eyebrows drawing together in curiosity and worry. That— the immediate and unstudied reaction— was the first blow to Mingyu’s wretched defences.

‘Do you want to tell him?’ Joshua asked gently. ‘I think it’s best to get it out in the open before it causes problems.’

Mingyu tried to steel himself enough to reply with something appropriately guilt-inducing, but it was hopeless; he was already crumbling in the face of Jeonghan’s attention. That had to be a new record, though perhaps it would be more accurate, he thought ruefully, to call it a new low. He shook his head, a little more frantically than he’d intended.

‘Then is it okay if I explain it?’

Mingyu nodded, feeling like he’d become a robot, or a puppet with Joshua at the other end of the strings. He really had to learn to say no more often to his hyungs.

Joshua lowered his voice. ‘Jeonghan, Mingyu is upset about the joke we played on him during filming, when we, ah, all rejected him.’

A brief glance around the table showed Jihoon seemed incredulous at the idea of Mingyu taking offence at what was admittedly typical Seventeen variety show shenanigans, and Mingyu guessed it wouldn’t be long before he connected the dots and realised the deal he’d overheard involved pranking Jeonghan. Jeonghan, on the other hand, looked doubtful but no less troubled, and he shuffled his chair closer to scrutinise Mingyu again.

‘But why?’ he asked, curling his fingers over Mingyu’s hand and shaking it lightly. ‘You know we only did it to be funny, right? If anyone else had said they wanted lots of contestants going up for them, we’d have done the same to them.’

Mingyu shrugged, refusing to look at Jeonghan. There was no chance of him keeping up the act if Jeonghan’s expression was even half as sweet as he sounded.

‘He told me he felt humiliated,’ Joshua put in helpfully, ‘especially since he heard someone go up at first.’

It was just unsubtle enough that Mingyu knew the thoughtful sound Jihoon made meant he’d worked out what was happening. He wondered if Jihoon would say anything or simply let it play out.

Jeonghan nudged Mingyu gently, still holding onto his hand. ‘You’re upset because of me?’

He sounded a little upset himself, which was an unintended consequence Mingyu didn’t like. It was one thing to play a joke on Jeonghan, but actually making him unhappy was a step too far.

‘I think he’s upset with all of us, not just you, Jeonghan,’ Joshua said hastily, obviously sensing the shift in Jeonghan’s mood as well. ‘How can we make it up to you, Mingyu?’

‘Yes, please tell us,’ Jihoon said, amused. ‘What can we do to earn your forgiveness?’

Where exactly was this going? Mingyu glanced at Joshua, who only raised his eyebrows expectantly.

‘I don’t need anything,’ Mingyu mumbled truthfully. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll get over it.’

‘The group doesn’t work like that,’ Jeonghan said. He reached out and tugged on Mingyu’s earlobe; Mingyu couldn’t help tilting into the warmth of Jeonghan’s side, relishing the casual affection. ‘We have to resolve our issues with each other and keep them from festering. You know that.’

‘But it’s honestly nothing!’ Mingyu protested, vaguely alarmed at the possibility the joke would escalate and involve all the members. ‘I was sad for a little while that no one wanted to be my partner, but I know it’s irrational. It was for the show. I know you all care about me.’

‘Didn’t I pick you out of the entire group?’ Jihoon muttered.

‘Then we should earn your forgiveness by cheering you up,’ Joshua said firmly. He smiled, and there was a reappearance of that mischievous edge that made Mingyu realise this was Joshua’s endgame. ‘Jeonghan, do some aegyo for him.’

Jeonghan stared at him. ‘Aegyo— How is that supposed to solve anything?’

‘It sounds like Mingyu’s thought about it and resolved the problem himself. If he doesn’t want us to keep making a big deal out of it, that’s his right. But since we still feel bad, we can cheer him up and remind him we love him.’

‘Oh? And how will you be doing that?’

‘I’ll buy him coffee and treat him to dinner. But that has to wait, so it’s up to you for now.’

Jihoon snickered into his rice. ‘Jeonghan-hyung, your aegyo does make Mingyu happy. I can’t think of a better way to cheer him up.’

Jeonghan was quiet for a moment, his nose scrunching up as he frowned over the trap Joshua had laid out for him. It wasn’t even a conscious gesture, but Mingyu felt himself smile at the sight. It was almost distressingly endearing.

‘There,’ Joshua said, sounding satisfied. ‘You’re so cute you made him smile without even trying. Jeonghan, please make our Mingyu happy again.’

He was terrifying, Mingyu decided. At some point, without anyone noticing, Joshua had become a master of manipulation.

Jeonghan sighed, then turned to Mingyu and pulled the sleeves of his blindingly green tracksuit over his hands. He looked both determined and discontented and Mingyu pressed his lips together to stop another smile.

‘Mingyu-ya, please don’t be mad!’ Jeonghan said in a sweet, wheedling voice, patting Mingyu’s cheeks with his padded palms. ‘We love you! We promise that even if we don’t pick you first for games, you’re always first in our hearts!’

‘Why not promise you _will_ pick him first next time?’ Joshua suggested.

‘Are you the director of this scene?’ Jeonghan asked, momentarily dropping the act to grumble at him. It was back up as soon as he faced Mingyu again, and Mingyu heard Jihoon giggle at the abrupt switch in personality. ‘Mingyu-ya, I’ll definitely pick you first next time! I won’t let anyone stand in my way!’

‘Jeonghan-hyung has become a shounen manga protagonist,’ Jihoon said delightedly.

Jeonghan gave up then and collapsed onto Mingyu, burying his face into Mingyu’s shoulder and hugging him tight in mortification.

Mingyu couldn’t stop grinning as he stroked Jeonghan’s back to comfort him. ‘Thank you, hyung, that made me feel so much better. I’m all cheered up now.’

Still clinging onto Mingyu, Jeonghan lifted his head and asked seriously, ‘Are you really okay? You’d tell us if you weren’t, right?’

For Mingyu, some things were simply impossible: an immunity to Jeonghan’s smile, an indifference to Jeonghan’s well-being, and the thought of ever forgetting the way his heart felt full to bursting whenever Jeonghan looked at him like that.

‘I’m okay,’ he said softly. ‘More than okay, I promise.’

Jeonghan smiled, and it was only when Joshua cleared his throat delicately that Mingyu remembered his and Jihoon’s presence.

‘I have a confession to make,’ Joshua said, losing all pretence at seriousness and beginning to smirk.

‘Me, too,’ Mingyu added sheepishly.

‘I don’t,’ Jihoon said, eating calmly.

Jeonghan narrowed his eyes and looked over them all carefully, pausing at Joshua’s smirk. ‘Oh, now it’s beginning to make sense... This was a prank?’

Joshua nodded without the slightest hint of shame, prompting Jeonghan to let go of Mingyu and fall back against his chair with a groan.

‘I was _sure_ Mingyu wouldn’t be upset about something like that, but I didn’t think he’d team up with you for a joke.’ Jeonghan crumpled up a paper napkin and threw it half-heartedly at Joshua. ‘Why would you do this to me, Joshuji?’

‘The bananas.’

‘The bananas?’ Mingyu and Jihoon repeated.

‘All this for that?’ Jeonghan asked, laughing.

‘He’s been hiding overripe bananas in my room every night for the past week,’ Joshua explained. ‘I’ve been smelling bananas in my dreams, Jeonghan! I can’t stand it anymore!’

‘I can’t believe you’re two of the oldest members in the group,’ Jihoon commented.

‘It’s lucky we have you to keep us in line, isn’t it, Jihoon-a?’ Jeonghan said. He tried to pinch Jihoon’s cheek, but was rebuffed by a sharp rap on his knuckles from a pair of chopsticks. Jeonghan pouted and made a show of rubbing the injury.

Jihoon rolled his eyes. ‘Save the act for Mingyu, hyung. He’s the only one who still falls for it.’

Mingyu ducked his head to hide his expression before it betrayed him and Jeonghan laughed again. He looped his arm around Mingyu’s, cuddling into his side and resting his head comfortably on Mingyu’s shoulder.

‘Fine, then all my love will go to Mingyu from now on,’ he said. ‘I know you’ll regret turning me away so cruelly, but when you come crying to me, I’ll turn you away as well!’

He was answered with another exasperated roll of Jihoon’s eyes; Jeonghan was such an affectionate person that there was absolutely no way he could hold himself back if someone really did go crying to him. But the idea of having all of Jeonghan’s unwavering focus and attention still sent a thrill of warmth through Mingyu, and he busied himself with his lunch so he wouldn’t dwell on why it did.

‘What did Shua offer you in return for helping him?’ Jeonghan asked, taking Mingyu’s cue and picking up his chopsticks. He stayed pressed up against Mingyu as he ate. ‘I know after the Seokmin Saga, no one would help unless there was some sort of bribery involved.’

‘Shua-hyung has to buy me two dinners and a week’s worth of coffee.’

‘Oh, that’s a good deal,’ Jeonghan said approvingly. ‘You’ll share with me, won’t you, Mingyu? I was nice enough to go along with the prank so you could earn your bribe.’

Joshua started laughing. ‘You are so shameless, Yoon Jeonghan. Get your own coffee!’

That set Jeonghan off on a complaint about how cold Joshua was to him, followed by further bickering about bananas, ending only when lunch was over with their decision to make peace by buying each other coffee. Mingyu trailed behind the other members with Jeonghan as they filtered back onto set, feeling pleasantly full and content.

As everyone arranged themselves on either side of Seungkwan, eyeing the Twister mats laid out on the ground, Jeonghan brushed the tips of his fingers against Mingyu’s, an almost imperceptible touch. Mingyu glanced at him questioningly.

‘I’m glad it was just a prank, Mingyu,’ Jeonghan told him quietly. ‘It hurt me to think I’d upset you.’

He slipped off to join Joshua by a mat, bright smile at the ready, leaving Mingyu to marvel at Jeonghan’s ability to convey so much feeling in so few words, and the ridiculous effect it had on his equally ridiculous heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for the Gyuhan crumbs, GoSe!


End file.
